Hall of Fame

Jay Cross

Jay Cross has been credited with inventing the term e-learning and has been a pioneer in both the practice and theory of technology in learning. After developing the first courses on the hugely successful University of Phoenix he set up the Internet Time Group. A tireless thinker and presenter on learning, he has pushed the learning world to think seriously about workflow and informal learning. His blog is one of the most respected learning blogs on the web, a model of honesty and authenticity.

Workflow learning

Workflow learning ties learning into the actual workflow within an organisation. According to Cross it takes us beyond just Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) to support and on-demand services that are designed to exist within the real tasks we do in our everyday work.

Informal learning

Out of this work on workflow learning came an even wider and what he regards as more important set of reflections. Cross has recently moved towards reflection on informal learning. Averse to detailed semantic analysis, he compares the difference between formal and informal learning to the difference between taking a trip on a bus and driving your car. In the former, you’re on a set route and not in the driving seat, in the latter you go where you want, when you want and on the route you choose. His reflections on the failure of training to really recognise informal learning is well represented in his oft-used ‘spending paradox’ slide.

Spending Learning

His reflections on the failure of training to really recognise informal learning is illustrated here. Why do we spend the great majority of our budgets on formal learning when we know that most learning is informal? The problem, so stated, is not to pit formal learning against informal learning. It’s simply a matter of balance. We have far too much time, money and effort spent on the formal side, while the informal side receives little or no attention.

He invites us to think about learning in a more naturalistic way, seeing learners as real people in real organisations who use real tools in real networks. Blogs, wikis, podcasts, syndication, peer-to-peer sharing, aggregators, Web 2.0, tagging, mash-ups and personal knowledge management are all emergent phenomena, unlike the top-down tools and content that traditional e-learning has provided. When we look at the internet we see powerful tools and techniques emerge through genuine use. It is these, he believes, that point us towards success in learning.

Conclusion

Cross has contributed much to the development of new ideas in e-learning, especially in his push to get workflow and informal learning recognised as important features of the learning landscape. More than just the theory, he has actively engaged in debate and widely disseminated his ideas.

Bibliography

Cross J. (2004) Implementing e-Learning, ASTD

Cross J. (2006) Informal Learning, Pfeiffer

Jay Cross’s blog:
http://www.internettime.com/wordpress/